This Raspberry Pi project for gamers squeezes its hardware into a SNES look-alike controller, no console required

One of the coolest things about Raspberry Pi consoles is that they’re so small, you can sometimes skip the “console” bit. In fact, if you’re skilled enough, you can house all of the hardware within the controller itself, which turns the project into something not unlike those plug-and-play toys, albeit a lot cooler.

So, when I saw this project that adds a Raspberry Pi to a controller shell, I knew I had to cover it. Best of all, its creator went into great detail about how they made it, meaning you can follow along if you’re feeling brave.

The Pocket SNES puts the console inside the controller for a truly portable system

This cool device is called the Pocket SNES, and it comes to us via Arnov Sharma on Instructables. Essentially, the Pocket SNES takes the design of the original SNES controller, shrinks it down to a true “pocket size,” adds an RP2040 Tiny Dev board within the case, and uses a USB adaptor to connect the controller to a screen. The end result is a console-controller combo where all you need is the Pocket SNES and a display to get gaming.

As you might imagine, modelling and sizing the Pocket SNES’s enclosure was a challenge:

We created an XL version before developing the Tiny version. The XL version has an unrestricted area, allowing for unrestricted component layout without regard for space.

In our Tiny version, the initial idea of assembling an enclosure and placing components inside proved impractical. Instead, I designed a PCB that accommodates all components on both sides, with a frame-like part attached to the bottom. This frame provides protection for the adapter board and improves user grip.

The SMD buttons are positioned on the top side of the PCB, while the right-angle tactile switch and the RP2040 Tiny Dev board are placed on the bottom. The USB adapter board is mounted on the back, secured by screw bosses integrated into the frame.

Once the frame was built, there was still a way to go, as Arnov got to work soldering on all of the hardware so that the controller could “talk” to the RP2040. After that, he had to write up some quick code so that the controller could translate the button presses into actions in-game.

However, the end result was truly worth it, as Arnov now has a cool console he can bring wherever he wants and play games on the go. The obvious go-to titles for playing on this handy controller are the SNES games of yore, but as you can see in the video above, Arnov also managed to get some 2D Steam games and some retro 3D titles working, too. Amazing stuff.